Reinforced link for antiskid chains



. April 21, 1942.

J. R. REYBURNy 2,280,717

`REINFORCED LINK FOR ANTISKID CHAINS'y Filed NOV. lO, 1939 lll/lll A gPatented Apr. 21, 1942 REINFORCED LINK FOR ANTISKID CHAINS John R.Rcyburn, Fairfield, Conn., assigner to American Chain & Cable Company,Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application Novemberl0, 1939, Serial No. 303,751

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in reinforced links for anti-skidtire chains. This application is a continuation in part of my copendingapplication Ser. No. 132,279 filed March 22, 1937.

A broad object of the present invention is to provide a cross chain withimproved reinforced tread links having caulks secured thereto in suchposition as to increase the overall width of the links and presentprojections adapted to dig into slippery surfaces so as to increasetraction and prevent skidding. This broad object as disclosed in saidapplication is accomplished preferably by providing a link withdownwardly and outwardly flaring diverging lugs which eX- tenddownwardly below the road engaging surfaces of the link and outwardlybeyond the sides of the link.

A specic object of this invention is to provide an improved constructionin which the link with which the caulks are associated is provided withside strands which have those portions to which the caulks are secured,extending and lying in the same horizontal plane.

More specifically it is an object of this invention to provide a link ofthe curb type having portions of its side strands lying in the samehori- Zonta] plane, with downwardly divergng lugs which projectdownwardly below the road engaging lobes of the link and outwardlybeyond the sides of the link.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved reinforcingelement in which the caulks are integrally connected by a strap whichmay be of considerably less cross sectional area than that of the caulksand in which the strap and the caulks are preferably so related as toform a seating surface at their juncture to seat on the side strands ofthe link.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription taken in connection with the drawing in which- Fig. 1 is aside elevational View of a reinforced link disclosing one form of myinvention;

Fig, 2 is a cross section of the link shown in Fig. 1 on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a link provided with a modified form of reinforcement;

Fig. 4 shows another modified form of reinforcement applied to a link;

Fig. 5 shows in perspective a blank from which the reinforcementdisclosed in Fig. 4 may be formed;

Fig. 6 shows another modified form of reinforcement; and

Fig. 7 shows the manner of applying a reinforcement such as disclosed inFig. 6 to a curb link having straight side strands oppositely inclinedthroughout their lengths.

Referring first to Figs. l and 2 of the drawing, I disclose in thesefigures a link I0 of the general curb type provided with end connectingloops l! which comprise tire and road engaging lobes and with sidestrands I2 which in. stead of being inclined throughout their entirelength are provided with parallel portions which lie in the samehorizontal plane to which are secured downwardly and outwardly flaringcaulks I3 which extend downwardly below the road engaging lobes of thelink and outwardly beyond the sides of the link and present their freeedges I4 parallel to the road. By means of this construction the roadengaging lobes are protected against ywear by the caulks and if thecaulks are made of the general rectangular form disclosed they willpresent a large amount of material to be worn away before there is anyappreciable wear on the road engaging lobes of the link.

As disclosed in Fig. 3, the reinforcement may comprise a trough shapedmember I6, the ends of which constitute downwardly diverging caulks I'I,and the intermediate portion I8 of which constitutes a strap connectingthese caulks and the side strands of the link. In this iigure the troughshaped member is disposed on top of the link, that is, on`the tire sideof the link, and is welded to the side strands I2 of the link at thejuncture of the caulks I 'I and the connecting strap I8. This providesfor an extended welded surface I9 between the reinforcement and thelink.

In Fig. 4 I have disclosed a reinforcement 20 applied to the link in thesame general way as disclosed in Fig. 3. This reinforcement may beformed from the blank shown in Fig. 5. It comprises end portions 2Iwhich constitute the caulks and which may 'be of relatively large crosssection separated by a wide groove 22 and connected by a thin portion23, the thin portion constitutingV a strap connecting the caulks 2|. Byrounding the surface at the juncture between the strap 23 and the caulks2I to generally conform to the curvature of the side strands of thelink, I am able to increase the length of the welding surface betweenthe side strands and the reinforcement and to locate at least a portionof the material of the caulks in line with portions of the strands sothat part of the thrust on the caulks will be transmitted directly tothe strands, thus reducing the tendency of the thrust to shear the weldbetween the caulks and the strands.

In Fig. 6 I have disclosed a reinforcement which may be made from theblank disclosed in Fig. 5 but in this ligure the trough shaped member isplaced on the bottom of the link and welded thereto, the reinforcementdisclosed in Fig. 5 being bent in trough form in an opposite directionfrom that disclosed in Fig. 4. In this gure I have indicated thereinforcement as 20a provided with caulks Zla separated by a channel 22aand connected by a thin strap portion 23a, the weld between thereinforcement and the side strands of the link being indicated at 24a.In this construction the upward thrust on the caulks is transmittedsubstantially entirely to the side strands, thus relieving the weld fromshearing stresses, and the strap portion 23a being located substantiallytangentially to the bottom faces of the strands bridges the caulks at avpoint where the bridging connection is most effective. This strapportion 23a not only effectively prevents the spreading of the sidestrands of the link but it also prevents spreading of the caulks f Thereinforcements disclosed in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 may be welded to curblinks in which the side strands are oppositely inclined as indicated inFig. 7. In this figure a curb link is indicated generally at 39 and isprovided with tire engaging lobes 3|, ground engaging lobes 32, andoppositely inclined side strands 33 and 34. The reinforcement which Ihave here indicated as Zb comprises a strap portion 23h and caulks 2lb.

This reinforcement is preferably twisted before it is welded to the linkto cause the junctures between the strap portion 23h and the caulks 2 Ibto fit the oppositely inclined side strands of the link to facilitatewelding the reinforcement to the side strands of the link.

While I have disclosed several forms of my invention, it is to beunderstood that these forms are susceptible to modification and that Ireserve the right to all such changes as fall Within the s principles ofthe invention disclosed and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In an anti-skid chain, a tread link of the curb type including sidestrands and tire and road engaging lobes, substantial portions at leastof said side strands extending and lying in the same horizontal plane,and caulks arranged normal to said portions of said side strands, saidcaulks diverging and projecting downwardly below the road engaging lobesand laterally beyond the sides of the link.

2. In an anti-skid chain, a chain link comprising a pair of side strandsconnected at each end to form an elongated closed link, and an invertedtrough shaped member disposed on the bottom side of the link and havingits side walls projecting downwardly below the ground engaging lobes ofthe link and outwardly beyond the sides of the link and welded to saidside strands, the bottom wall of said member being disposedsubstantially tangentially with the bottom surfaces of said sidestrands, said side walls and bottom Wall being connected by surfacesconforming to the adjacent surfaces of the side strands and having theirouter edges lying in a plane eX- tending through the side strands.

3. In an anti-skid device, a link comprising side strands and endconnecting loops, and a trough shaped reinforcement provided withdiverging side walls of substantial thickness and a bottom wall of lessthickness, said side walls and bottom wall being connected by surfacesconforming to the transverse shape of the adjacent faces of the sidestrands and having one of their edges lying in the plane of one face ofthe bottom wall and their other edges lying in a plane extending throughthe side strands, said reinforcement being welded to said side strandsalong said curved surface at the junctures of said bottom and sidewalls.

4. In an antiskid chain, a tread link of he curb type comprisingoppositely inclined side strands and tire and road engaging lobes, andan inverted trough shaped member disposed on the lower face of said linkand having side walls of substantial thickness and a bottom wall of lessthickness and having surfaces between said bottom and side wallsconforming to the transverse shape and the inclination of said sidestrands, the outer edges of said surfaces lying in planes passingtransversely through said side strands at a point above said sidestrands and welded to said side strands.

JOHN R. REYBURN.

v l v CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,280,717'. April 21, 19112.

JOHN R. REYBURN.

It is hereby vcertified thaterror appears in the printed specificationofthe above numbered pate-nt requiring oorrection as follows: Page 2,second column, lines and )19, strike out "and welded tosaid sidestrands"Y and insert the same after "strands" A1nd befere the con-ma,line 14,5, same claim; andl that. thesaid Letters, Patent mould be readwith this correction therein that the slune may conforn to the `recordof the cese inV the Patent Qff'i'cfe,v

Signed and sealed this '25rd any of' June, A. D. 191,2.

Henry Van- Arsdale,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

